Medical, Dental Consultants Reiterate Call for Adjustment in Retirement Age
Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has reiterated its call on the federal government to increase the retirement age of hospital consultants to 70 years and 65 years for other healthcare workers in the country.
The association also frowned at government’s reluctance to squarely address issues of shortfall in salaries of clinical lecturers (honorary consultants) occasioned by non-payment of their salary with CONMESS (Consolidated Medical Salary Scale) for medical and dental doctors in public service in Nigeria.
MDCAN’s position was contained in a communique issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting with the theme, ‘Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and its Significance in Achieving Universal Health Coverage’.
In the communique which was jointly signed by MDCAN President and Secretary General, Prof. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed and Dr. Daiyabu Ibrahim respectively, the association said the development, if not addressed, would be the bane to the process of sustainable production of healthcare workforce in Nigeria, adding that it could further encourage brain drain.
Mohammed said, “We also resolved that government as well as critical stakeholders in the healthcare sector should have strategic plans that will ensure all Nigerians have financial, geographical and functional access to quality healthcare.
“The various steps outlined in the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) should be properly followed, and MDCAN as well as other critical stakeholders should be involved for effective delivery of quality healthcare to all Nigerians.
“Federal and States Governments should as a matter of urgency, address the age-long demand of Universal Applicability of CONMESS to all qualified Medical and Dental University Lecturers in the Colleges of Medicine/Health Sciences across the various Universities in the Country.”
According to the communique, the increase in the number of medical students admitted should be followed up by deliberate efforts by the federal government to increase human resources and infrastructures such as classrooms, laboratories and simulation laboratories for effective training of medical students without compromising the expected standard.
MDCAN further observed that recent federal government policy of, “No leave of absence” for any healthcare workers in its employment was discriminatory and a violation of their fundamental human rights as citizens of Nigeria, as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended.
